The frustrated lead guitarist of flamboyant rock revivalists The Darkness says he is “a rock star in charge of his own destiny” – except when he has to travel by Southern Rail.

Glamour, stardom and patience are stripped away when rocker Dan Hawkins is reduced to waiting for the rail service his band has panned in their latest release 'Southern Trains' from their new album.

Together with his brother, falsetto vocalist Justin Hawkins, he penned the cathartic single venting the fury he has built up riding the Southern network, a fury that will be very familiar to Croydon commuters.

And he has hinted he might even do a benefit concert for the bedraggled commuters who have suffered Southern delays.

“I don’t often travel in commuter hours,” 40-year-old Dan told the Advertiser, firmly tongue-in-cheek. “Because I’m a rock star and in charge of my own destiny.”

Read More

The guitarist did, however, have to take the train to get into the capital while recording new album Pinewood Smile, which is out next week. Usually a fan of train travel, he was shocked at the delays.

“I live in a little village just south of Crawley,” said the backing vocalist.

“It’s brilliant here because you are so close to London. And I can allegedly get to the city in 30 minutes – that’s the alleged time.”

So rather than grin and bear the Southern frustration so many people face, Dan and Justin decided to channel the fury into a song.

Justin Hawkins of The Darkness (Image: Getty Images)

“This all stems from experiences me and my brother [Justin] when we were recording in London for this new album.

“For months we were getting the train into London every day, and every day there were serious, three-hour delays.

“We wrote this song really because we were p***** off by Southern.

“My brother lives in Switzerland now and he was even more shocked. It runs like clockwork there, I think if a train is delayed there’s a hanging!”

Dan said he has even been driven to taking the car, which obviously has its limitations on the rock n' roll lifestyle.

He said: “Recently I’ve been driving into the city! It’s terrible. You can’t do anything.

“The car usually gets left in the car park overnight, I admit. But that costs a fortune."

The band’s latest song Southern Trains pulls no punches – the track lays into the often under-fire rail provider with explicit language and a hard rock riff.